Modular creel apparatus including strand guides



March 11, 1969 J. ':v LEGER 3,432,117

MODULAR CREEL APPARATUS INCLUDING STRAND GUIDES Filed May 24. 1967 Sheetof 2 INVENTOR.

JOHN E. LEGER Y 'PMm PM A T TORNE Y5 March 11, 1969 J. E. LEGER3,432,117

MODULAR CREEL APPARATUS INCLUDING STRAND GUIDES Filed May 24, 1967 Sheet2 of z INVENTOR. v

JOHN E. LEGER 75* BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,432,117 MODULARCREEL APPARATUS INCLUDING STRAND GUIDES John E. Leger, Nashua, NH,assignor to Union Carbide Corporation, a corporation of New York FiledMay 24, 1967, Ser. No. 641,016 US. Cl. 242-131 Int. Cl. D03 5/10 11Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention Themodular creel apparatus of the invention is especially useful in themaking of fabrics, nettings and the like, wherein it is desired tosupply a multiplicity of strands from large individual packagessimultaneously to a strand consuming machine, such as in knitting,weaving, or spinning. In the case of a well known type of high speedmachine for making criss-cross woven netting, the machine may besimultaneously drawing strand from up to several hundred packages, eachof which must have sufficient space around it to avoid fouling of therespective strands, such fouling being more likely when the strand isend fed in a balloon rather than merely unwound from a rotatable bobbin.Unlike a spinning frame, in a crisscross netting machine there isusually insufficient space for such a collection of packages, plus anequal number of spare packages, above the machine in a conventional millbuilding. If a commercially available creel is used, the spindles areusually too close to each other, the number and location thereof isfixed, thus preventing respacing, and the cumbersome, creel rack is notonly difiicult to position relative to the point of use of the strandsbut often encountersfioor supporting posts, making its use impractical.

As far as I am aware, there are no commercially available modularcreels, and no movable package holders in the prior art which would beusable for assembling into a creel satisfactory for the above purposes.In US, Patent No. 2,545,203 to Head of Mar. 13, 1951, an end feedpackage support and guide eye are disclosed, but carried on a fixedframe with no tiltability, extensibility or other adjustablecapabilities. In US. Patent No. 3,055,610 to Keyser of Sept. 25, 1962, adouble package, single guide creel unit is disclosed for overhead use ona spinning frame, but there is no tiltability of the spindles, noextensibility of guide rods and no end pay-off capability in theapparatus.

Summary of invention In this invention, a creel frame, or rack, is used,which does not require an unwieldly, relatively immovable frame butrather is formed of relatively light individual, vertical, perforatedposts, which can be detachably aflixed around the walls of a room in amill building, or can be supported by any suitable, light weight,non-fixed base of a skeletonized nature. The upright metal posts, or apreforated sheet, are arranged around the strand consuming machine, at aspaced distance therefrom, to provide access by the 3,432,117 PatentedMar. 11, 1969 operator, and being sectional, can extend behind a floorpost if necessary, while still supporting the movable creel and guideunits of the invention.

While each package support and strand guide can be individually mountedin juxtaposition on the framework, preferably each modular unit consistsof a backer plate which carries a strand guide rod located between apair of package holders, so that a replacement strand package isavailable at all times for refilling, or so that two strands may besupplied simultaneously to the guide if desired. Each package holderincludes a bottom support plate extending outwardly from the backerplate with a spindle upstanding therefrom, the plate and spindle beingtiltable to conform to a desired direction of balloon end feed. Eachstrand guide member includes an extensible rod projecting outwardly fromthe backer plate at a level above the level of the package holder, sothat the balloon from the free terminal end of the package spindle isunobstructed and symmetrical up to the tension control means or guideeye of the guide member The guide rod is adjustable in heightvertically, swingable in a horizontal plane, and extensible in ahorizontal plane, so that it can, for example, be swung to one side orthe other of a floor post to feed the machine. The modular units may bestacked one above the other by staggering the same, and may extend inhorizontal rows in close proximity to accommodate the strandrequirements of the machine.

Description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic sideelevation of a portion of a machine showing the modular creel units inuse,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevation,

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation, and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the modular creelunit of the invention.

Description 0 preferred embodiment In FIGURE 1, a strand consumingmachine 25 is shown, which may be of the type for producing non-Woven,crisscross netting formed by alternately looping multiple strands, suchas 26, around a pair of advancing rows of pins 27, such a machine beingtermed a Scrimmaster, and commercially available from Union CarbideCorporation of New York, N.Y. There may be one hundred or moreindividual strands 26 being drawn off individual packages 28, by themachine 25, and it is desirable that the packages be located at adistance from the machine, to avoid obstructing the path of the loopingmechanism 24, or obstructing the view of the netting by the operator,and to minimize traflic at the machine in replacing depleted packages.The machine 25 is usually about ten feet in with and thirty feet inlength, and therefore is likely to have one or more building posts 29 inthe vicinity which would interfere with the installation of aconventional creel stand. In the textile art, creel stands holding up toone thousand large packages, called cheeses, stacked in vertical rows upto ten and extending horizontally to accommodate twenty vertical rowshave been used to supply yarns to a warper for winding on a warp beam.However, it will be understood that such a warp beam exerts a relativelyconstant tension on the strands, it is not actually producing a web ofmaterial under constantly changing draft tensions, consumption of thestrand is at relatively slow warp winding speed, and inspection of thewarp is relatively easy. The creel of this invention is designed tosupply multiple strands directly to a moving looper, by-passing anywarping step, the looper travelling at high speed in short strokes, toproduce netting at the rate of up to five hundred feet a minute whileexerting varying tensions on the strand. It is also desirable to be ableto mount the packages and strand guide eyes at a level above the levelof the looping zone of the machine and to deliver the strands at abovehead height, thereby enabling the operator to move freely around themachine.

The creel frame means of the invention preferably comprises a pluralityof spaced apart perforated metal posts 31, which extend vertically, forexample, at about ten inches apart to form a skeletonized creel frame32. The posts 31 may be secured to the room wall 33, by suitable bolts34, may be secured to suitable horizontal headers 35, or may have alightweight skeletonized base 36. The frame means 30 is sectional in thesense that it has no main horizontal frame, but may be assembled intoany desired number of sub-frames 37, each consisting of at least twoposts 31, each sub-frame 37 carrying one or more, and preferably three,modular creel units of the invention.

The identical, portable, modular creel units 40, preferably include ahorizontally extending backer plate 41, which may be bolted as at 42 and43, at any desired height in the perforations 44 of any two posts 31 ofany subframe 37 of frame means 30. If desired, the backer plate 41 maybe affixed to a single post 31 Or the package holders and guide membersmay be individually secured each to a post 31, all as shown in FIGURE 1.Each modular creel unit includes at least one package holder 45 and atleast one strand guide member 46, and preferably there are a pair ofholders 45 each on an opposite side of a member 46 to position areplacement package next to each package being depleted or to permitdouble feed if desired.

As best shown in FIGURES 2-4, each package holder 45 includes a packagesupport plate 48, having a package mounting spindle 49 upstandingcentrally thereof. The plate 48 normally extends outwardly anddownwardly from its edge 50, proximate the upper edge 51 of backer plate41, to its free outer edge 52 at a spaced distance from the plate 41.The spindle 49 is thus normally inclined from the vertical of the backerplate, for example at about 30, thus assuring that the package 28 willnot fall off the spindle while aiming the spindle upwardly and forwardlyaway from the frame means 30'. The upper edge of support plate 48 ispreferably hinge-pivoted at 53 to a base plate '54, the base plate beingfiatwise and parallel against backer plate 41 and mounted to pivot onthe horizontal axis of a bolt 55. The bottom edge 56 of base plate 54 issemi-circular in configuration and lockable against backer plate 41 by aclamp 57 and a bolt 58. Thus the support plate 48 and spindle 49 may betilted to one side or the other on pivot 55. A brace 61 is hingepivotedat 62 to base plate 54 and includes a tab 63, hinge-pivoted at 64, whichis clampable in a slot 65 in support plate 48 by a suitable bolt 66'.The support plate 48 and spindle 49 are thus not only tiltable on afirst, or longitudinally extending axis 55, but also tiltable on asecond, or laterally extending axis 53, to fix the spindle 49 in adesired direction of alignment by locking means 57, 58 and '66. Thebrace means 61 and hinge-pivot means 62 may be in other forms ifdesired, for example a pair of arcuate slotted overlapping braces 67 and68 of well known type adjustably connected by a wing nut 69 as shown insome of the units at the right of FIGURE 1.

The strand guide member 46 of each modular creel unit 40 includes ahollow cylindrical tube 70, fixed vertically on backer plate 41, bywelding, or other suitable means, and preferably centrally between apair of package holders 45. A right angularly bent telescopable guiderod 71 is provided with a vertical leg 72 of circular cross sectionslidably and rotatably received in tube 70 and locked at any desiredheight or angle by set screw 73. The horizontal leg 74 of rod 71 is ofsquared hollow cross section and an extensible rod 75 of square crosssection is telescopably received therein. A strand guide eye 76 isprovided at the terminal tip of rod 75 so that the guide rod can beswung in a horizontal plane to position the guide eye relative to thedistributor head 77 of machine 25. The rod 75 can be extended orretracted in the horizontal plane, and the rod can be move-d verticallyto desired levels above the package holders. A tension control plate 80is provided on rod 71, including the bracket 81, for slidably clampingthe same at any intermediate location along the horizontal leg 74, apair of tension control plates 82 of known type and a plurality ofpigtail guide eyes 83, 84 and 85.

The adjustable pivot means of each guide member 46, together with thevertical and horizontal extensibility of the member, permits the guideeye 76 of each modular creel unit to be fixed at the optimum locationrelative to the machine 25, distributor head 77 and any immovableobstructions for equalizing draft tension and minimizing strand sag.Upon fixing each guide eye in place, the slidaable tension control plateis likewise moved to the optimum location for reducing and controllngtension while still being located above and sufficiently near thepackage holders to enable the formation of a symmetrical end feedballoon of strand. The adjustable tilt means of each package holder thenpermits its spindle to be moved into exact alignment with one of thepigtail guides such as 83 on control plate 80, so that a balloon isformed which will not wrap itself around the parts or otherwise tend tofracture during the high speed extraction of the strand by the looper.The bottom face 87 of each control plate 80 is smooth, unobstructed, andpreferably rounded to avoid any tendency of the end feed balloon tocatch thereon and break the strand.

What is claimed is:

1. A modular creel for use in supplying a plurality of individualstrands to a machine, said creel comprising frame means, upstandingaround said machine, independent of support thereby,

a plurality of identical package holders, each including a packagesupport plate with an upstanding spindle, for end pay off of strand,

adjustable tilt means mounting each said package holder on said framemeans for afiixing said spindle at a selected angle of tilt thereto,

a plurality of identical, telescopable strand guide members, eachassociated with one of said holders, each including a terminal guideeye, and each including an intermediate tension control element, and

adjustable pivot means mounting each said guide member on said framemeans for affixing said tension control element and guide eye at aselected angle relative thereto,

whereby each said guide member is movable on said frame means to aselected strand feed eye location relative to said machine and thespindle of each said holder is movable on said frame means intoalignment with said tension control element for forming a symmetricalend feed balloon.

2. A modular creel as specified in claim 1, wherein each said strandguide member is mounted between a pair of said package holders, eachholder on an opposite side and below the level of the guide eye of saidmember, one said holder carrying a package being depleted and the othersaid holder carrying a spare package, and

said frame means includes a horizontal backer plate carrying said guidemember and said pair of holders and includes at least one vertical,perforated post detachably supporting said backer plate.

3. A modular creel as specified in claim 1, wherein each said strandguide member is mounted between a pair of said package holders, eachholder on an opposite side and below the level of the guide eye of saidmember, one said holder carrying a package being depleted and the othersaid holder carrying a spare package; and

said frame means includes at least three spaced vertical perforatedposts, said guide member being mounted on the central post and each saidpackage holder being mounted in juxtaposition therewith on one of theother said posts.

4. In combination with a strand consuming machine a creel framesupported independently of, and at a distance from said machine topermit said frame and machine to be readily accessible,

a plurality of identical, portable, modular package holders, detachablymounted on said frame, each including a package support plate having apackagemounting spindle upstanding therefrom and adjustable tilt meansmounting said plate on said frame for tilting on either its lateral orits longitudinal axis to fix said spindle at a desired angle forsymmetrical end feed ballooning from said package,

and a plurality of identical portable modular strand guide members,detachably mounted on said frame, each including a bent, telescopableguide rod having strand tension control means intermediate of the lengththereof and a strand guide eye at the terminal tip thereof, said rodbeing extensible vertically and horizontally to positon said guide eyeat a predetermined location relative to said spindle and said machine,

and adjustable pivot means mounting each said guide rod on said framemeans for moving said terminal tip in a horizontal plane on a verticalaxis to fix the same in position to guide said strand to a selectedlocation on said machine.

5. A modular creel unit for use with a plurality of identical creelunits on a creel frame, said unit comprising a backer plate detachablyafiixable at any desired height on said frame means,

at least one package holder including a package support plate with apackage spindle upstanding therefrom,

adjustable tilt means mounting said package holder on said backer platefor aflixing said support plate and spindle at selected angles of tilt,

at least one strand guide member, including an elongated, telescopablerod having a strand guide eye at the terminal tip thereof, said rodextending away from said backer plate in a horizontal plane above thelevel of said package holder, and

adjustable pivot means mounting said strand guide member on said backerplate for afiixing said member at a selected angle in said plane and ata selected level above said package holder.

6. A creel unit as specified in claim 5, wherein said adjustable tiltmeans includes a base plate on said package holder extending inparallelism with said backer plate and pivoted thereto to swing on afirst axis normal thereto, hinge-pivot means connecting said supportplate to said base plate: for swinging on a second axis normal to saidfirst axis, and locking means for aflixing said plates at selected pivotlocations.

7. A creel unit as specified in claim 6, wherein said base plateincludes a partly circular edge remote from the pivot thereof, and saidlocking means is a threaded clamp element aflixed to said backer platein the path of said circular edge for threadedly clamping said edge intolocked position.

8. A creel unit as specified in claim 6, wherein said locking meansincludes a brace element hingepivoted to said base plate and having ahinge-pivoted terminal tab, said support plate includes a slot along thecentre line thereof and Wing nut means is provided on said tab and insaid slot for threadedly clamping said plates into locked position.

9. A creel unit as specified in claim 5, wherein said telescopable rodincludes a downwardly bent vertical portion of circular cross sectionand said adjustable pivot means includes a hollow cylindrical tube fixedvertically to said backer plate and sleeved around said rod portion, andincludes a set screw contacting said rod portion,

whereby said rod portion is movable vertically and rotatable in saidtube.

10. A creel unit as specified in claim 5, wherein said telescopable rodis right angular with a vertical portion of circular cross section and ahorizontal portion of hollow squared cross section, said latter portionhaving a solid rod of squared cross section telescopa'ble therein andcarrying said guide eye at its terminal tip.

11. A creel unit as specified in claim 5, plus a tension control elementmounted for longitudinal sliding adjustment on said elongated rod, saidelement in cluding a pair of tension plates and at least two spacedpigtail type guide eyes on the upper face thereof and having a smoothunobstructed lower face for contact by a ballooning strand withoutdamage thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,571,523, 10/1951 Bennett 2421312,958,479 11/ 1960 Crawford et al 242-431 3,304,026 2/1967 Bucklow etal. 242-131 3,347,064 10/1967 Forca 66-125 LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, PrimaryExaminer.

